Uttar Pradesh: Nepali machine operator dies by suicide; note alleges moneylender harassment

The deceased in his note said that his son had taken a loan from a moneylender to whom they had repaid over and above the principal and interest but were being forced to pay more.

Meerut: A 55-year-old machine operator in a factory in the industrial area of Meerut died by suicide on Thursday. Police recovered a handwritten note from his possession in which he had described the alleged humiliation he faced from the moneylender among others while taking the extreme step.

Police identified the deceased as Prem Kumar Shahi, a native of Nepal, living here in Meerut with his family. He is survived by his wife Asha Shahi and their son Sagar Shahi (22). His wife and son were not at home at the time of the incident. Neighbours said the family had gone to Gorakhpur a few days ago and were informed about the incident.

The family members are on the way to Meerut and are expected to reach later on Friday. Police said further action will be taken based on the complaint from the family. The machine operator's body was found in a factory room at Uddogpuram which falls under the jurisdiction of the Partapur police station.

Shahi's coworkers alerted the police after he did not come out of the room till noon. The police forced into the room only to find Shahi dead and moved the body to a government hospital for postmortem. Shahi used to live with his family on the factory premises, according to his coworkers.

They further told police that he was under a lot of stress as moneylenders were constantly harassing him over the payment of the loan amount. Partapur Inspector Ramphal Singh said a handwritten note was seized from the deceased's pocket. "It was mentioned in the note that his son Sagar had taken a loan from a moneylender on interest. Despite paying more interest than the capital amount, the moneylender pressured him for more money," the cop said.

Suicide is not solution

If you are having suicidal thoughts, or are worried about a friend or need emotional support, someone is always there to listen. Call Sneha Foundation - 04424640050 (available 24x7) or iCall, the Tata Institute of Social Sciences' helpline - 9152987821, which is available Monday to Saturday from 8 am to 10 pm.